Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace
Subject: Who is Sami Al-Arian? Answer the questions of legal defense donors!
April 18, 2003

Q. Who is Dr. Sami Al-Arian and what has he done for the American Muslim community?

• Dr. Sami Al-Arian was born on January 14, 1958 in Kuwait to Palestinian parents. His roots are in Jerusalem and Jaffa, Palestine. He came to the United States in 1975 from Egypt. Since 1986, he’s taught at the University of South Florida, where he received two outstanding awards for teaching.

• Dr. Al-Arian has also been an active community leader. He helped establish many organizations including the largest grass roots organization in the U.S., the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in 1981, and many of its affiliates. He also co-founded the World and Islam Studies Enterprise (WISE) in 1990, as a research and academic institution, dedicated to establishing dialogue and understanding between the Muslim and Western worlds.

• Dr. Al-Arian is also dedicated to interfaith dialogues, community development, and civil rights. He served on the board of the Hillsborough Organization for Progress and Equality (HOPE), the largest community organization in Hillsborough County, Florida, and is a member of many other civic organizations. Dr. Al-Arian is a frequent speaker and lecturer on many campuses, churches, and conferences. He also serves as the local pastor or imam of the local Islamic community in Tampa.

• Dr. Al-Arian has also co-founded the Tampa Bay Coalition for Justice and Peace. The coalition was formed in June 1997 in response to the unjust imprisonment of Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar under the unconstitutional use of secret evidence and continuous national and local media attacks against Arabs and Muslims. In addition, Dr. Al-Arian is a co-founder of the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom, the largest national organization to challenge the use of secret evidence. He was elected as its first president in 2000. He is also the recipient of the “Civil Rights Award” of 3 prominent Arab and Muslim organizations: the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the American Muslim Council, and American Muslim Alliance.

Since 1995, Dr. Al-Arian has been the target of an orchestrated campaign to silence him for his pro-Palestinian views.
To help defray the cost of the Al-Arian family’s legal expenses, please make a contribution to the National Liberty Fund and mail it to the following address:

National Liberty Fund (NLF)
P.O. Box 22580
Alexandria, VA 22304